THE STORM

It cannot be over-emphasized that Koombana was heading away from the Balla Balla Cyclone, afternoon 20 March, whereas Bullarra (as per log) headed into the Cyclone. 

Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney) 14 May, 1912.

No special forecast was issued from 

the Melbourne office of any storm from 

March 16th to 21st, inclusive. 

A report from Port Hedland on the

20th stated that the wind force was

four miles an hour, with threatening

weather and smooth seas, and Cossack

reported a barometer of 29.69 with wind

each blowing at the rate of 19 miles an

hour. On the 20th at 1 p.m. Cossack

advised that a fresh gale was blowing,

with high seas and weather threatening. 

Clearly the effects of the cyclone were being felt to a greater degree further down the coast towards Cossack rather than in the vicinity of Port Hedland.

On the 21st, next morning, the

barometer recorded 29.56, wind 37 miles

an hour, and there were very heavy

seas. The storm, from 15th to 21st

March, went in a south-west direction,

and evidently struck the coast at Cossack 

and curved. The centre of the storm passed 

north of Cossack. There was nothing to 

indicate that a cyclone was approaching. 

Continuing, he stated that apparently the 

depression struck the coast somewhere 

near Cossack, and, being interrupted by 

the coastline, and the width of the depression 

being narrowed, it resulted in a sudden storm. 

The diameter, he thought, would extend from 

Port Hedland on the north and Cossack on the

south, or about 90 miles north-east by 

south-west.

The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 27 March, 1912.

Captain Brett Ward, master of the

Moira, which reached Wyndham 

yesterday, forwarded the following 

cable message, via Broome, to the 

Premier :-

"We encountered cyclonic weather at 8 a.m. 

on the 20th, in latitude 19 20 deg. south,

and longitude 117 deg. east, 100 miles 

north-west of Hedland." 

The Balla Balla Cyclone made landfall late 20 March, the full force being felt at Depuch Island / Balla Balla, hence the name. At some time shortly after noon 20 March Koombana steamed northeast for Broome. The following extracts reinforce the above reports.

A cattleman on board Bullarra heading southwestward (opposite direction to Koombana) from Port Hedland to Depuch and Balla Balla:

"I noticed away on the starboard bow and 

just above the horizon, a dense mass of 

inky black clouds and from descriptions 

I'd had from old pearlers, I was convinced 

we were in for it."

"Scarcely any damage

was caused by the 

hurricane at Port Hedland."

"on the 27th inst.(March), but found no trace of any

thing. She spoke to some pearling boats,

but they had seen nothing. At half-past 9

o'clock the same night the Bullarra was off

Bedout Island. The light there was not

burning. At 5.30 the next morning the chief

officer was sent ashore, and he searched and

found no trace of wreckage. The light

house is unattended. The glass was

found to be not encrusted which showed 

that the island did not meet the full force 

of the gale."

Whatever the cause of the Koombana disaster it was NOT being battered to pieces in the heart of the Balla Balla Cyclone.